


There Is Just One Thing I Need

by Kerkerian



Series: Christmas Stories By Kerkerian [10]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Call it Fluffmas, Canon Divergence, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas surprises, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Jack is Back, M/M, Reunion, Romance, Team as Family, macdalton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerkerian/pseuds/Kerkerian
Summary: Once Jack comes back, things are finally beginning to look up for Mac. And since he hasn't been doing well at all, it's about time, too...Cue Christmas, romance and fluff!
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Christmas Stories By Kerkerian [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073891
Comments: 9
Kudos: 59





	There Is Just One Thing I Need

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, I don't own MacGyver.
> 
> The story is set between seasons 4 and 5.
> 
> Wishing you all a merry Christmas, despite the circumstances, and a happy (and healthy) New Year! Of course I couldn't wait till the 24th to post this...

This year, Matty had done her darnedest to prevent anything unforeseen from happening to her favourite team. All psychopaths and other people possibly seeking revenge on her radar were accounted for (and if it had taken some extra effort, string-pulling and calling in of outstanding favours to accomplish that, it had been worth it), the entire team was off the rota for a few overdue vacation days, and she had not only Mac's but everyone's neighbourhood under constant surveillance.

This year, they were going to get the break they deserved and needed, especially since Jack had finally come back, only two weeks ago.

He had gone straight to Mac's, of course, and Matty could only imagine their reunion, but the mere thought made her smile. Mac had been quiet and withdrawn ever since they had taken down Codex, and even though the team tried to cheer him up, not even Bozer so much as managed to make him smile.

On the contrary: Mac did his best to hide it, but it seemed that he was close to coming apart at the seams, as if the weight of all that had happened was still bearing down on him. They all had thought he'd be doing better after presenting his mother's research at the Senate hearing, but for some reason, his initial elation was short-lived. Mac continued to do his job, but it was clear that he wasn't doing well, and none of them, not even Riley, got him to talk.

Since the latter had found a new flat in the meantime (well, before Desi and Mac broke it off for good a month after the hearing), it went so far that Bozer temporarily moved in with Mac again under the pretence of having sustained some water damage in his flat, just to keep an eye on his friend and provide some company.

The day after Jack's return though Mac was glowing, and after all these months of living with bone-crushing sorrow, it was a sight to behold. The two of them seemed to find back to their old rapport in record time, and where one of them went, the other went with him; for these past two weeks, they had thus been inseparable, and it was remarkable how changed Mac appeared.

He was still grieving, of course, but he seemed to be able to look ahead again and face whatever was coming his way. He even let Jack convince him to put up some Christmas decorations; they didn't go full on overboard as they usually did, and it was probably going to take some time before Mac was going to feel like his old self enough to do so again, but the house looked nice and cozy, and there was a tree.

Matty had an inkling that all of that wasn't only for Mac's sake but for Jack's in equal measure; after what he'd been through, and she knew most of it by now, he needed a sense of normalcy and home, after all.

He stayed at Mac's most of the time, so Bozer declared the water damage to have been fixed in order to let him have the spare room, and if Mac suspected that the whole story had just been a cover, he didn't say anything. He hugged Bozer tightly before he left though, holding on to him longer than he normally would have, and refrained from any manly back-clapping.

Jack, when asked about his own apartment, only shrugged: “Got everything I need right here,” he'd say, motioning towards Mac and appearing entirely unfazed if anyone grinned or Mac rolled his eyes, ostensibly annoyed.

Mac wasn't really annoyed when Jack said something like that, hadn't been for a long time, because it actually felt too good to hear it. It was soothing the hurt that was still raw and sometimes overwhelming, and it was something he needed, he realized.

He had missed Jack intensely, and he kept wondering if things would have been less bad if his partner had been around. Which was selfish and made him ashamed of himself whenever his thoughts strayed in that direction, but he couldn't help it. When Jack was there, everything seemed easier for some reason, and Mac felt less discouraged. And there was something else, namely the undeniable fact that Jack's sheer presence made his body tingle and brim with energy, something he hadn't experienced since- well, since Jack left.

Jack felt the same. When he had finally been home, he went to his apartment for a shower, a shave and fresh clothes, but he didn't even take the time to sort through his mail, because there was something more important he had to do.

The motor of his beloved GTO rumbled to life instantly when he turned the key in the ignition, and Jack smiled proudly as he set off towards Hollywood Hills.

It was getting dark by the time he parked on Mac's drive, and for a moment, he hesitated. Matty had given him the gist of everything that happened, and Jack was appalled even without knowing all the details. He sat in his car for a moment, almost giddy with excitement but also nervous and, as was his default mode when it came to Mac, worried.

When he stood in front of the door, he hesitated some more, uncertain whether he should just go in or ring the doorbell. In the end, he did ring, not wanting to give Mac an unnecessary shock on top of everything else. It took a while until he opened the door, and when he saw who it was, he froze for a moment, just staring at Jack uncomprehendingly until the latter opened his arms: “I came straight to you,” he said with a voice that came out far too brittle and tremulous, all the other casual openers he had come up with on the plane ride to the states forgotten.

Mac's incredulous expression contorted, and a moment later, he was in Jack's arms, and Jack felt him tremble as he gripped him tightly, left arm around Mac's shoulders while his right hand cradled his partner's head. They didn't even speak, just held on with all they had, laughing and crying simultaneously.

When they finally pulled back enough to look at one another, it took Mac a few attempts until he was able to speak: “Are you back for good?” he asked hoarsely, and Jack nodded: “Yeah. We took the bastard down last week. I came home as quickly as I could, and I swear to you, hoss- I'mma stay home from now on.”

“I'm so glad you're back,” Mac muttered, smiling despite the fresh tears that were welling up.

“Me too,” Jack whispered, eyes brimming again as well. “I missed you so much!”

Mac only nodded and pulled him close once more, and it took quite a while until they went inside at all.

Jack smiled at the memory every time.

He leaned back in his corner of the couch now, unaware of the tender expression on his face, and watched his logical family. They had eaten a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner cooked by Bozer and Russ (“thank goodness Bozer's found another sous-chef to order around,” Riley had said teasingly, at which Bozer had bristled: “Ex-cuse me? _Order around_?” “She's got a point,” Mac said lightly, quickly dodging a shove and snickering at Bozer's mock indignation) and then gathered outside, because Mac had made it snow again, by popular demand. Then Russ had begun to sing “Silent Night”, and after a moment of comprehension, they had all joined in.

And now they were sitting in the living room with their drinks and doing toasts.

“... Phoenix and that we'll continue to do so,” Russ was just saying, at which everyone raised their glasses: “To the Phoenix.”

Next, Matty got to her feet: “It's been a turbulent year, to say the least,” she said. “Things are hopefully only going to improve from now on, especially since the team is finally complete again.” She gave Jack a smile while Riley hooted: “Hear, hear!”

Deeply touched, Jack raised his glass and inclined his head, returning the smile. Next to him, Mac was beaming; Jack felt it like the places where their knees and arms were touching, and it made him inexplicably happy. He glanced at Mac, who held out his glass for him to clink, and they looked at one another for a moment, both of them smiling, and Jack never wanted to kiss the other so badly than he did right then.

Long after the moment passed, Jack could still feel the warmth that had pooled in his belly.

Around eleven, the others started to leave, since they all had plans for Christmas Day. Riley was going to spend it with her mom and Diane's new boyfriend, Matty with her parents, Desi with hers, Russ with his sister and her family and Bozer with Leanna and her family.

"You're looking better," Desi told Mac in a low voice. "I'm glad." They weren't quite back to hugging yet, but at least they were able to act civilly around one another, and Mac knew her well enough to be aware that she meant what she said just then.

"Thanks," he smiled at her. "Merry Christmas, Desi."

“You have yourselves a merry little Christmas now,” Riley said with a broad smile as she kissed Mac and Jack goodbye, raising her eyebrows meaningfully. While Jack pretended not to know what she meant, Mac blushed a little. He had noticed how Riley had watched him and Jack from time to time, smiling. As if she suspected something. Which was impossible, because there was nothing _to_ suspect. Jack and he were closer than ever, but apparently, that was it. Nothing had ever happened.

Even in his slightly inebriated state, Mac felt a pang of regret as he thought about it.

Once everyone had gone, Mac and Jack closed the door behind them and paused, looking at each other.

“Stop me if I got this all wrong,” Jack said softly, “but I'mma kiss you now.”

“Okay,” Mac managed, eliciting a smile that illuminated Jack's entire face, and then Jack gently pulled him closer, and Mac's hands were on Jack's chest and they kissed, making everything else irrelevant. It was gentle and unhurried and thrilling at the same time.

“Merry Christmas,” Jack muttered once they came up for air, and they both giggled like little boys.

“Seriously though,” Jack gently caressed Mac's cheek. “I know you don't like my singing, hoss, but... all I want for Christmas is you.”

He could feel that Mac was trembling again at that: “Sing all you want,” he muttered, nuzzling Jack's face with his. “I'll just join in.”

Jack gave a breathless little laugh: “I love you,” he said softly, happily. “So much.”

Mac inched closer so that he could wrap his arms around Jack and just attach himself to him: “Love you more,” he muttered against Jack's skin.

Once more, they held on to one another for a long time, letting the situation sink in.

Jack slept in Mac's bed that night, they didn't even have to talk about it. Still holding on to each other but miraculously managing not to bump into things, they went to Mac's bedroom which was only illuminated by the neon sign above the bed, where they paused, giddy and trembling, but then they reached for one another at the same moment, and from there, it was neither awkward nor haltingly; slowly, reverently, they undressed each other, kissing and caressing the other in between, and it was tender and breathtakingly intimate.

Mac noticed every new scar on Jack's body, making him promise to tell him about every single one, and Jack couldn't believe how thin Mac had gotten. He was still strong, though, and he felt amazing under Jack's gentle touch.

They took their time exploring, and when the first dim light of dawn began to filter into the room through the blinds, they were still awake, too overwhelmed to sleep, wrapped around one another and marvelling at the sensation of skin on skin, heartbeat to heartbeat, scents mingling.

“Did you hear Santa?” Mac murmured drowsily at one point.

“Nah,” Jack pressed a kiss on his temple. “He's a really sneaky guy.” He smiled: “Think he heard us?”

“God, I don't hope so.” Mac chuckled.

“Probably don't need to worry, we weren't that loud.” Jack's smile deepened. “Can you believe all this?”

At that, Mac lifted his head to look at him: “Yeah,” he said softly, sounding happy. “I can.”

Jack wrapped his arms around more firmly, pulling him even closer and kissing him. Mac then settled down half on top of him, pushing one of his legs between Jack's, and that was how they fell asleep.

Jack woke up around noon; Mac was still asleep. They had rolled apart at one point so that Mac was now facing away from him, and for a moment, Jack just looked at him, heart hammering in his chest.

All he could see were Mac's hair, the shell of his ear and the line of his jaw, and he longed to touch him, but he knew that he'd wake the other like that. While Mac was slowly losing the somewhat hollowed-out look and the dark bruises underneath his eyes that were evidence of how little and badly he had slept prior to Jack's return, there still sure as hell was a backlog.

Therefore, Jack just inched closer and turned onto his side so that he could cuddle up with his partner and wrap one arm and one leg around him, pulling the covers up around them in the process.

Mac tensed for the shortest moment, but then he gave a faint hum and relaxed into the embrace without waking up, and Jack, who was wide awake now, spent the next half hour or so just enjoying the peace and listening to Mac's quiet breathing.

Later, after showering together, they went into the living room, actually walking hand in hand like two love-sick teenagers, but neither Jack nor Mac could find it in him to be bothered by that, on the contrary: it felt right.

“Human magnets,” Mac said and shrugged, and Jack had to agree.

They sat down on the rug in front of the tree, looking at the considerable amount of presents.

“Santa was busy,” Jack said, purposefully refraining from joking about someone having been good that year, but Mac still looked distraught all of a sudden.

Jack could easily guess what that was about: among other things, Riley had told him everything about the power plant and how Mac considered himself guilty of another person's death. In his own opinion, he'd probably never be a genuinely good person again.

“Hey,” Jack said softly, putting a hand on Mac's back. “You okay?”

Mac looked at him and nodded, obviously trying to be brave, but he didn't quite manage the reassuring smile he had been going for. Jack scooted closer and put his arm around him: “I love you, baby,” he murmured. “You got the kindest heart I know. If you need to be sad today, that's okay. But you're allowed to take a break from all that, you know? You can just enjoy yourself for once and not think about everything that's been weighing on you, because I'm here to help you with that burden.”

His expression softened. “And please believe me when I tell you that you're the not only the kindest,” here, he pressed a kiss on Mac's cheek, “but also the sweetest,” another one, “bravest,” another one, “smartest,” another one, “and most wonderful person I know.”

His smile widened into a grin when Mac eventually sniffled a little and nodded, taking a few shuddering breaths. “You make me sound like a saint,” he then muttered, wiping his eyes.

“The list goes on,” Jack said airily, “but I don't want to let it get to your head, so I just mentioned a few off the cuff.”

“Clown,” Mac breathed, but leaned into him. When he had seen the tree in all its glory, he hadn't been able _not_ to think of Lasky's family, and he wondered what their Christmas was like. And immediately felt guilty. And he thought of his dad, even though they hadn't spent Christmas together since he had been a kid.

He tried not to ponder the matter and pull himself together, for Jack's sake. After all, his partner hadn't had a day off and definitely not a single holiday since he had left for the mission, so he deserved to have a good time.

Wiping his eyes once more, Mac turned towards Jack and wrapped his arms around him: “Thanks,” he whispered.

Jack returned the embrace: “Anytime, darlin',” he muttered, his breath warm on Mac's skin. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, big guy.”

Once they pulled back, Mac reached out and fished a present out from underneath the tree: “This is for you. Well, all of those are,” he gestured towards the pile closest to them, “but you should open this first.”

Jack took it: “Is it a football?” he asked, even though the package was rather small and flat. He opened it and just stared for a moment, then he gasped: “You got us tickets for Iron Maiden?”

“No, I got us tickets for Jimmy Buffett. They just misspelled the name.”

“Dude, don't mess with me. Not when Iron Maiden are concerned.”

Mac raised his eyebrows mockingly, so Jack shook his head: “Thank you,” he said, “this is amazing. But it's too much, darlin'-”

“If you say another word, I'll cancel the rest of Christmas,” Mac warned him.

“You can't just _cancel_ Christmas!”

“Watch me.”

“Fine. I won't say another word.” Jack looked at the tickets again. “I just hope we won't be on an assignment right then.”

“If that's the case, we'll find another date. I mean, we can just fly wherever they are.”

“True, true,” Jack grinned. “And since the Legacy of the Beast World Tour is ongoing, we might even have a chance.”

“That's what I figured.”

“Thank you,” Jack repeated, leaning in for a kiss. “I love this present.”

Mac smiled, and it was the real deal this time.

“I'm so glad you're here,” he muttered, and when Jack reached up to cup his cheek and gently stroked him with his thumb, he turned into the touch, never breaking eye contact. For a moment, they just stayed like that, enjoying their closeness, then Jack cleared his throat: “Well, what are you waiting for?” He motioned towards the tree. “Take that one over there first.”

Mac hesitated: “The big one?”

“Yeah, go on.”

It was a rather large package. Mac unwrapped it and found a box with an envelope on it. He opened it and found a card, written in Jack's unmistakable scrawl: “We're going on a vacation. I'm not telling you where yet, but you'll need these.”

Puzzled, Mac opened the box and found a pair of snow shoes. “Wow, Jack- these are so cool! Where are we going?”

“Not tellin' ya.” Jack grinned.

“Can you at least telling me when?” Mac asked, still examining his gift.

“We'll leave tomorrow.”

“ _What_?”

“Matty gave us ten days off, so we'll spend New Year's in the snow.”

“That's amazing!” Mac was a little overwhelmed. “But- how... and you said _my_ gift was too much-”

“It's all done and dusted, hoss,” Jack looked complacent. “I've got connections, y'know?”

“So... you got to get home and pack later on?”

“Nope.” Jack smiled. “It's all taken care of already. Got my luggage in the trunk of my car.”

“Are we flying there?”

“Yep. Not too early though. If we leave here at nine, it'll be alright.”

“Wow,” Mac repeated. “Thank you, big guy.”

Jack's smile only deepened.

The spent the afternoon snuggled up on the couch watching Christmas movies and dozing in between, only getting up for bathroom breaks or hot chocolate and the last of Bozer's Christmas cookies.

Jack slowly carded his fingers through Mac's soft hair: “This is perfect,” he muttered, sighing contentedly.

Mac, who had closed his eyes and just enjoyed Jack's gentle ministrations, hummed in agreement.

“When did you know?” he eventually murmured.

“That I had hopelessly fallen for you?” Jack sounded amused. “I think it was building up right from the start. Well, not the first day, obviously, but then I saw what you were capable of and stopped behaving like a dick around you, and from then on, I was in awe. And that pretty much didn't stop anymore. So... on the morning of what was supposed to be my last day, I felt awful instead of relieved to be going home. And that was when I realized that I wasn't only leaving a friend but someone I cared for in a way I've only experienced once or twice before.”

Jack fell silent; he remembered the day vividly.

Mac, who blushed a little while he was listening, now smiled: “So you stayed. Thank God you did.”

“Yeah,” Jack muttered. “Can't even imagine my life without you in it. I love you so much, darlin', it's... I got not words to describe it. You're my whole world. I always thought that's a really cheesy thing to say, but now... it's what I feel.” In fact, on some days during the Kovacs mission, only the thought of Mac and coming home to him had kept him sane, or so it felt. 

Mac thought back to the first time Murdoc made his appearance. How Jack hadn't wanted Mac to come along when they had tracked Murdoc down, telling him how it'd kill him if Mac died, and he had tears in his eyes when he said it. He himself had never been good with expressing his own emotions with words, but he felt the same about Jack, and the past two and a half years were proof of that. If Jack hadn't survived... it didn't bear thinking about.

He shimmied a little and used his toes for leverage so that he could push himself further up until his face was level with Jack's: “I feel the same,” he said softly, putting his thoughts into words and for once not struggling to do so. “Desi's great and she had my back and all, but she's not you. No one could ever replace you.”

He was certain now that what he had felt for her had been a mixture of attraction and the need to fill the void that Jack had left, but not love. It had been the right decision to break it off again, because they both deserved better.

When Mac had told him about Desi shortly after his return, Jack had inclined his head: "She's a tough one alright," he just said, seemingly amused. "Could've told ya that it'd go sideways..." 

"Are you saying I'm a sissy?" 

"Nah. I'm saying you two are fundamentally different. Which never makes for a harmonious couple, if you ask me." 

Admittedly, he'd been spot on with that. 

Jack now smiled: “And you don't mind that I'm so much older than you?” he then asked in an equally low voice.

“Does it look like I do?” Mac leaned in for a kiss, and Jack spared them an answer. When they eventually pulled back, Mac regarded Jack: “I don't see your age when I look at you,” he then said, his voice gravelly. “I see your smile... and the way you look at me... with kindness... and affection.”

“How could I not?” Jack asked tenderly, raising his hand to gently caress Mac's face. “I'm crazy about you, hoss.”

Mac's smile was radiant and beautiful.

Later, once Mac had resumed his previous position and “Nobody's Fool” was on, which wasn't strictly a Christmas movie but fitted the mood and had Bruce Willis in it, though not in one of the roles Jack preferred, Jack's thoughts strayed back to their conversation. It was true what he had said, there wasn't one definite moment in which he had fallen in love, there rarely were in his experience, but it happened slowly and steadily. And it kept happening on a daily basis.

There were certain events he remembered which stood out, of course. The siege of the Latvian Embassy came to mind, for example. That had been shortly after Murdoc had popped up on the scene; because of him, Mac had been at odds with Bozer right then, and even though he tried not to let it on, he kept worrying about his friend and their relationship.

And then they were under attack in a seemingly hopeless situation, and Mac felt responsible for risking the staff's lives, and he had seemed so... brittle and vulnerable, trying to appear calm and in control when he was anything but on the inside. On the contrary: he was painfully aware that he was the only one who could save them, that it was all on him.

Jack knew him well enough to see that it was too much, that he was barely able to sustain all that weight on his shoulders. Back then, he loved Mac so fiercely that he felt the ache almost physically. And that was only one situation among countless others.

People might call it co-dependency, Jack called it soulmates, kindred spirits, bonds of love... it didn't even matter. What mattered was how strong their connection was. That Mac knew, once and for all, that he wasn't alone, that he could rely on Jack to be there for and with him. So yeah, he meant what he said: he wasn't going to leave again, ever. 

Mac didn't stir when the movie ended; his eyes were closed, and Jack thought he had dozed off again. Gently, he nosed at Mac's hair, at which the latter hummed: “Not asleep,” he muttered, “just... relaxed.”

Jack smiled softly: this was Mac when he was unguarded and feeling safe and secure, and Jack just loved it, especially since he was aware that Mac hadn't been this laid-back for a long time now.

At one point, they did get up from the couch because Mac still needed to pack for their trip and Jack wanted to raid the fridge for leftovers, of which there plenty: Bozer had also wanted to make sure that this Christmas didn't lack for anything, culinary-wise.

Mac made the bed so he could put everything he'd need on the comforter; he liked to be methodical. He couldn't help feeling jittery though, and his hands were shaking a little whenever he thought of Jack, which was accompanied by a pleased flutter of his stomach every time. He was certain that he never felt like that before- lighter than air, even though that was physically impossible and even birds with their hollow bones couldn't achieve it after all; bubbly somehow, as though he was about to laugh any second, and totally over the moon.

Therefore, packing lasted longer than usual, because he kept forgetting what he was about to do, finding himself in the bathroom or in front of his chest of drawers rather confused and having to retrace his last steps in order to jog his memory.

When Jack called that dinner was ready, he was almost done.

“Remind me to pack my toothbrush,” he said as he walked into the kitchen, pausing in surprise when he saw that Jack had actually set the dining table in the living room and lit some candles.

“This looks nice,” Mac said, touched.

“Yeah, I thought since we've been slacking off all day... “ Jack grinned. “Gotta do Bozer's creations justice though, and the occasion.”

With that, he handed Mac a glass of wine: “I'd like to raise my glass,” he then said softly. “To Christmas, and to us.”

Mac raised his glass as well: “Hear hear,” he said quietly, smiling. “Merry Christmas, Jack.”

Jack returned the smile: “Merry Christmas, darlin'."

And just like that, all was calm, and all was bright.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm not a Native Speaker, therefore I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
>   
> The title is of course taken from the song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. And Bozer pretending to need to have some work done in his own apartment so he can stay at Mac's is inspired by Danny Williams in Hawaii Five-0. =)
> 
> Now with a short sequel snippet: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25403806/chapters/70740609


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